Materials that are soft and pliable before being cured and that later become hard and inflexible after being cured is well known in the art of sculpturing. Depending upon the specific materials involved, curing may be carried out in a number of ways. With some materials, curing is carried out at room temperature. With other materials, curing is carried out at relatively moderately elevated temperatures, such as in an oven. With still other materials, curing is carried out at high temperatures, such as in a kiln. Some materials require specific curing environments that may be difficult to provide under certain circumstances. For example, a kiln is an expensive piece of equipment and consumes a lot of energy during operation. In this respect, it would be desirable if a sculpting material were provided that could be cured in a simple curing environment.
A common sculpting medium is clay that is of mineral origin and comes either in water-based or oil-based form. The artist or craftsperson that fashions pottery or small figurines typically uses water-based clays. Drying of such objects is a tedious process to insure the result is free of cracks. Firing is required to insure permanency. Water-based clays generally do not come in a range of colors except those that are the natural coloration of the mineral filler, typically gray or brown. Coloration must be applied to the surface after firing and fired again to preserve the color. After completion, the article is heavy, fragile, and brittle. Oil-based clays are produced in range of malleability and often come in a range of colors. These products, however, are non-drying and incorporate pigments which can stain textiles, carpeting, furniture, and other surfaces.
Another class of modeling compound is of vegetable origin. Some incorporate starch as filler and are these primarily intended for children. Such doughs have low viscoelasticity, are easily malleable, and come in various colors. Because it is the binder that is pigmented, color brightness is generally lacking. Further, such doughs have a tendency to flake, crack, and crumble in both wet and dry stages. Starched-based dough's are unsuitable for fashioning permanent sculptures as drying induces considerable distortion and cracking of the finished object. Covering a flat armature of Styrofoam™ with this type compound causes considerable warping.
Another class of sculpting medium is polymer base. One formulation incorporates polyvinyl chloride as the filler. Formation of a permanent sculpture usually requires a curing process at an elevated temperature that causes the material to release toxic gases. The material itself is somewhat toxic. The polymer formula that is cross-linked, or gelled are resilient and lightweight yet demonstrates viscoelasticity. The materials are hard to shape with precise detail and tend to return to their initial positions. They dry quickly upon exposure to air, thereby demonstrating a short working time.
Another class of sculpting medium is plaster base. These types of compounds are widely used in the modeling industry by the artist and craftsmen alike. These compounds form very well into molds of various types and sizes. The material dries very hard, can be painted with any number of types of paints; and it can be sanded and carved easily. The major drawbacks are its weight and a high tendency to chip and show stress cracks on larger projects. The material dries quickly upon exposure to air, thereby demonstrating a shorter working time.
It is often desirable that an object that is sculpted be colored. Coloring sculptured objects can be obtained from two different approaches. One approach is to paint the sculpted object after it is formed. Another approach is to have the sculpting medium contain coloring materials. A number of disadvantages are associated with painting a sculpted object after its formation. One disadvantage is the selection of a proper paint that will adhere strongly to the sculpted object. Another disadvantage is finding the desired color that has the desired adherence characteristics. Because of these problems, the approach of having the sculpting medium pre-colored may be preferred.
As mentioned above, sculpting mediums are varied in their composition. Similarly, there are a wide variety of coloring materials. Such variety of coloring materials increases the possibilities in preparing blends that have incompatible ingredients. In this respect, it may be difficult to discover and blend a compatible combination of sculpting material and coloring materials. Therefore, it would be desirable if a sculpting medium were provided that is capable of being prepared in a wide variety of readily available and compatible coloring materials.
When a sculptor is using sculpturing materials, the hands of the sculptor must often be kept wet with water to permit the hands to slide readily over the work being sculpted. Constant exposure to water in this manner may have deleterious effects on the sculptor's skin. The water leaches out the natural skin oils leaving the skin abnormally oil deficient. Therefore, it would be desirable to find a sculpturing material that allowed the hands of a sculptor to have an oil-based material applied on them while working with the medium. The presence of oil on the hands, such as cold cream, will preclude the natural oils of the hands being leached out by the water.